Midnight II: Possession
by Redfeatherz66
Summary: The Doctor can't protect his companions when none of them know who's trying to hurt them. He should've known better than to leave a mystery unsolved. 11th, Amy, and Rory.
1. Arrival

Rory peeled his hands off the center console, shaking them to bring back feeling and to dry his sweaty palms, while Amy adjusted her jacket. Beside Rory, the Doctor jumped to his feet, laughing and smiling per usual.

"Honestly, Doctor, you need a better floor. Glass is pretty and all, but for a time machine? Either fix the shocks or get a floor with some traction," Rory grumbled good-naturedly.

"As I recall, you like the glass," Amy whispered to him. He blushed furiously.

"I tried putting shocks in her once, but the old girl spit them back at me. Picky thing, only will accept ones made of rare tridium, and the last deposit I knew of was on an asteroid guarded by the Judoon- no, wait, the Carrionites took it, wanted it for- but anyways! No, I can't install shocks without either starting a war or winning an impossible bet," the Doctor prattled happily, spinning around and hitting buttons and levers.

"River got it to go smooth," Amy muttered.

"What's that?" the Doctor asked. Amy smirked.

"Nothing. Then you'll fix the floor?"

"Good heavens, no! Glass is far easier to clean because it's smooth, and you have no idea what passes through here- great big drippy Arkan, and old whats-'er-face, sluggy woman, great time at parties until you had to clean up her mucus trail."

"So you'll just fall on your bottom for an eternity of travelling," Rory laughed. The Doctor shrugged. "Anyways, so, um, where are we?"

"Not sure!" the Doctor beamed, like a child about to open a Christmas gift, spinning around once before he reached the door. "I think we might be somewhere in the Corian galaxy, close to the quartz asteroid belt. They have great cuisine here-," the Doctor threw open the door and froze. "Oh."

"Oh?" Amy repeated, walking over to peer over his shoulder. "Oh!" she gasped. They were in a massive, beautiful building with a pearly tiled floor and a high translucent ceiling, giving it an airy feel. Small groups of two or three crossed the room, entering and disappearing in multicolored doors. Everyone smiled and laughed. Some were wearing thick, fluffy white furs, while others wore comfortable looking cotton sweats and tanktops, and still more wore swim suits. A tidy looking woman in a blue skirt-and-suit combo walked over, smiling as if blue police boxes appeared all the time.

"I think we ought to go elsewhere. Maybe the other side of the quartz belt…" the Doctor said uncertainly, eyes never ceasing moving. Amy pouted.

"But look at this place! It's incredible!" she protested, ducking under his arm and stepping into the room. Rory followed hesitantly, smiling at the Doctor.

"It_ is_ pretty nice. And we've spent the past two weeks or so saving the universe. A break would be great," he shrugged, looking hopeful. The attendant stopped in front of the trio and the TARDIS.

"Welcome to the Midnight resort!" she said demurely. "May I assign you rooms?"

"No, thank you," the Doctor said, stepping in front of Amy and Rory, still scanning the room with a look in his eyes that Amy had seen only rarely before. Uncertainty, tinged with fear. But it was a resort! And everyone was happy- not brainwashed happy, but genuine laughter, and she heard a pair of girls arguing (but happily) over whether to go to the beach room or the spa.

"But Doctor," she moaned. "Can't we stay? Just for a couple of days- we've been through hell, and a resort is perfect! You always promise to bring us somewhere nice but always get sidetracked, anyways."

"No. We aren't staying here." Amy was so awed by the room that she hardly noticed the way the Doctor had drawn inside himself, as if preparing to be attacked. His voice was sad.

"Why not? What's wrong here?" Rory asked, siding with Amy.

"Everyone is happy here. Peaceful. And it's not zombie-peaceful, unless zombies can argue. They're all normal people enjoying a vacation," she put in. "I don't see anything wrong."

"Neither do I," their bowtied friend muttered.

"Then let's stay! Pleeeease?" Amy begged, blinking bambi eyes and pouting.

"Well…."

"Yess! Oh, thank you, Doctor, I promise we'll behave! And after, we'll go wherever you like, those slime pits or that dull monastery or the library thing you talk about," Amy said delightedly. She grabbed Rory's hand and turned to the patient attendant. "Two rooms, one for Mr. and Mrs. Pond- Rory, shut up- and one for… Mr. Smith. And they both must have Jacuzzi baths. And the one for Mr. Smith needs to have bunk beds," she requested happily, smiling at the Doctor as she asked for the bunk bed. A tentative smile crept onto his face.

"Well. Maybe just a few days." He frowned, and added, "No tours. Whatsoever. Stay off the bus system. I don't want you leaving the building, not for anything. Ever."

"Yeah, sure," Amy called, already following the attendant, half dragging Rory.

"Take care of her, Centurion!" the Doctor shouted after them. Rory gave him a thumbs up.

**It is short. But there will be more, and soon:**

**I've already got the whole thing written, so (unless I have brain-fail and forget to update) you shouldn't have to wait too long to get a new chapter. HOWEVER- I won't update until I get **_**at least two reviews**_**. But I'm very receptive to creative criticism- how else can I improve? If there's something that bothers you or that doesn't seem right, PLEASE share with me so I can improve and you can be less bothered. So more than 2 reviews would be delightful.**

**Background: (the Doctor doesn't belong to me). MIDNIGHT is one of my favorite episodes- one of the few that we see weakness in the Doctor, where he is actually afraid and doesn't understand. But then, in a very un-Doctorlike move, he leaves without solving it. Mistake, Doc! Unfinished business will find him eventually. And a mystery beckons- he can't just leave it alone twice.**


	2. Changing Plans

"A little to the left. Yeah, there," Amy sighed, laying on a massage table. A woman with four arms (ending in four very soft hands with three fingers and two thumbs on each hand) kneaded her back with herbal oils. Rory reclined in a chair beside her, with cucumbers on his eyes.

"Amy, I'm not sure about this," he said. His wife scoffed, waving a hand.

"It'll be great. You'll love it. I'm surprised you've never had a pedicure and massage before. After all, I thought you were gay for the longest time," she giggled.

"But I wasn't," he corrected her, lifting a cucumber to give her a loving look. She smiled and stuck out her tongue.

"Thank goodness for that," she murmured, reaching out to briefly brush the back of his hand. Another four-armed, double-thumbed woman walked in and placed a purple bucket full or aromatic blue foam in front of Rory's feet.

"I might change my mind-," he began, until the woman placed one foot in the bucket. He sighed. "Oh, man. That's great." He relaxed as the woman gently rubbed his feet with a thick plush cloth, adding different soaps.

"See? Isn't being gay nice?" Amy joked.

"Mmmmm. I mean, no. I mean, um," Rory stammered. He stopped and huffed. "You know what? It would almost be worth it."

"Hey," Amy protested sleepily, flicking his elbow. He smiled.

"I can't imagine why the Doctor didn't want to stay here. It's so perfect, but not too perfect. Like, perfect, but not creepy, unnatural perfect, you know?" He commented.

"He probably accidentally got married to some woman here. Or offended someone important, or broke something big," Amy joked, though she silently shivered when she thought back to the look on his face when they had arrived.

"I don't know- what about that thing about the buses?" Rory wondered.

"Who knows. He probably thinks we can't look after ourselves- that we'll get lost and end up in some magma pit, or frozen wasteland."

"No magma pits, madam," the masseuse put in. "No ice, either. Midnight- she is a place of crystal. Crystal mountains, and valleys, and formations. Midnight resort- the only place here. No other buildings. Buses are sightseeing, to see crystals. They are very beautiful. No danger- nothing lives outside resort. X-tonic radiation shines on Midnight- keeps her clean and empty. You and he, haven't been sightseeing?"

"No, we've spent these first two days relaxing. We've had a very stressful- what, week? Month? We're time travelers, and it's hard to keep track of time. It's been a while since we've relaxed like this, though," Amy replied. "Crystal mountains?" The masseuse nodded.

"Midnight is made entirely of crystals. Gems. Famous emerald and diamond canyon, layered like stacked books. Beautiful. And bright yellow Sphene crystals all in spire-mountains. But most famous, sapphire waterfall. Long journey, a few hours, but much worth it."

"But the Doctor said not to go on the shuttles," Rory pointed out.

"Not go?" the masseuse repeated, confused. "Shuttles are very safe. Built by Spyders, genius species from the next solar system. Best in the galaxy, and best in all the galaxies around. Each shuttle is replaced after a year or service, and is inspected between every trip. No saver travel than Midnight's shuttles," she said, clearly proud of the resort's care.

"Have you been?" Amy asked.

"Many times. Midnight- she is a kind place. I went there four days ago last, with my nephew for his birthday."

"My son," Rory's masseuse added, smiling. "He turned six years old. I trust those shuttles with my life, and my sister's, and even my son's life."

Amy thought for a moment, relaxing as her masseuse worked the knots out of her lower back. "I want to go," she said.

"But the Doctor said not to," Rory protested half-heartedly. He knew the Doctor was wise, but he wanted to see the sapphire waterfall as much as Amy. And he loved seeing her happy, loved seeing her face light up in awe and amazement when they saw beautiful or inspiring things.

"Oh, c'mon, Rory. You want to go too. You can bring your sword if you're nervous, and defend me from nonexistent creatures living on the uninhabitable surface of the planet, which we won't even be near because we'll be in one of the safest shuttles in the universe," Amy teased.

"Alright. And yes, I will bring my sword, I think," he decided, having already planned to smuggle it just in case. (To be honest, he actually had it on him most of the time, after the Doctor gave him a perception filter to hide it from sight.)

"The next shuttle is two hours from now. When you get tickets, tell them Maglada and Enade sisters recommended the trip. You will get seats for certain," Amy's masseuse, Maglada, said helpfully.

"Thank you," Amy said warmly.

They were both quiet for a few minutes, enjoying their massages and spa time, until Amy broke the silence.

"So what do you think the Doctor is doing?"

"Excuse me, ma'am. Shuttle inspection," the Doctor said, holding up his psychic paper.

"Oh! I didn't realize that was today. And," she hesitated, squinting through the double glass of her large spectacles and the window of the ticket booth, "I didn't realize Spyders wore humanoid guises for non-secretive assignments, like shuttle inspection."

The Doctor shrugged. "I find mine to be extremely comfortable. And I built mine with a bow tie, which is way cool. I don't have a cool bow tie that fits me and looks so dashing," he said, running a hand through his hair and preening. The woman laughed.

"It certainly is a handsome guise! Although- why did you give it such a funny chin?" she asked innocently.

"Funny chin? It's not funny. It's manly. Manly men have nice chins. Like this one." He rubbed his chin self-consciously anyways. "Is it really that funny?" he couldn't help but ask.

"It is a bit funny. But I've seen stranger ones. What did you say your name was again?"

"I didn't, nobody can pronounce my real name good and proper, so everyone just calls me Smith. Which shuttle is open for inspection? And I'll need the keys, too, for a quick test run."

"Is this a special inspection? Usually inspectors just go on one of the tours, but have free reign to go anywhere in the shuttle, including the cockpit."

"I was just kidding with you. Part of the inspection- making sure you don't go handing out the keys. And you passed!" the Doctor said, covering up for his mistake.

"Oh, hurrah! I've always been the smart one in my family." The woman stamped a paper, and handed it to him. "Next shuttle is in two hours."


	3. Not THIS Man

**Thanks to: Fablegirl777, ShinyIvyleaves, and Idoloni. Best review came from Idoloni: mucho gracias! And thanks for pointing out the out-of-character points- in this chapter, I revised a little bit according to what you said. There's very little that bothers me more than an out-of-character story, and the last thing I want is for my own writing to be that way- thank you for the help! :D**

**BY THE WAY- I don't own the Doctor. BBC does.**

Amy and Rory met up with the Doctor outside their rooms an hour and a half later.

"Doctor, thank you so much for letting us stay here! It's wonderful! The rooms- they're not even rooms, they're like entire towns! This place is huge! We went to a water park room, and got massages, and there's a shopping centre, and it's so amazing!" Amy gushed, grabbing the Doctor in a hug. He squeezed her back, smiling.

"It is quite spectacular. Last time I was here, I didn't stay long, and didn't have this much fun," he confessed, releasing her.

"What happened last time you were here?" Rory questioned hesitantly, looking into the Doctor's eyes. His eyes flicked away for a second to look at the floor, but only for a second, before meeting Rory's gaze again steadily.

"I'm a busy man, Rory," he said carelessly, clapping him on the shoulder. "I don't take a lot of time for relaxation."

"But you didn't want to come here. Something bad must've happened," Amy prodded. There it was again- for a split second, his eyes were a sea of fear and doubt and dark thoughts.

"A few of my friends had an… argument. With me. And two of them- they left, unexpectedly. Just some odd happenings. One of them, Sky- one of the two who left- changed, and changed me too, and the other one who left sort of… un-changed us, and took Sky with her," he said, vaguely and haltingly. Rory and Amy exchanged a look, more confused than before.

"Changed? Changed how?" Amy asked.

"Why did they leave? And what do you mean, she 'took' her with her?" Rory added.

"It's complicated. And old stories. Old, old, old. Doesn't matter, don't worry yourselves with it," the Doctor said, shaking his head. Changing the subject gracelessly, he said, "So where are you up to now? The beach room? Or garden room?"

"Um, the ski room, actually," Amy said quickly.

"You're wearing a skirt," the Doctor pointed out.

"I'll change there. You can rent snow gear," Amy said. "Where are you going?"

"Library and café. They've got great chocolate," he said breezily.

"Right. Well, have fun." She and Rory turned and headed down the hall. The Doctor followed them.

"Isn't the ski room the other way?"

"Isn't the library and café the other way?"

"I thought I'd accompany you."

"I have Rory the Roman. You can go to your books and chocolate."

"Well you're going the wrong way to the ski room."

"Scenic route."

"Of course." The Doctor grabbed two white slips of paper from Amy's jacket pocket. "I didn't know the ski room required tickets. Or that the tickets, which you don't need, said 'Saph-Falls Shuttle' on them."

"Hey! Give those back!" she protested, trying to grab them. He held them high over her head, out of reach. "Rory! Grab them!" Rory looked between his furious, redhead wife, hands on her hips, and the Doctor, eyes steely, reached, hesitated, then stepped back uncertainly. "Rory!"

"I told you not to go on the shuttle," the Doctor said, putting his hands on Amy's shoulders and looking sternly at her.

"Yes, and we _would_ listen, but you wouldn't tell us why not," she pouted.

"It isn't safe."

"Actually, it's the safest, strongest thing in this galaxy, and farther," Rory put in reasonably.

"No, it's not." The Doctor's voice was quiet and gave the couple chills. "There is something stronger. In this galaxy. On this very planet. _Outside_," he whispered.

"But… nothing can survive the X-tonic radiation," Rory said, confused. The Doctor nodded.

"Right. Nothing can. It's impossible. And yet…" he sighed. "You aren't going on that shuttle."

Amy snatched the tickets away. "That's a bunch of baloney. Come on, Rory," she said, grabbing her passive husband's hand and pulling him down a corridor to the stairs. The Doctor stared after them for a moment. And then he walked quickly away.

"Well, well, well," Amy said, after stepping into the shuttle. The Doctor turned around and grinned at the pair.

"Imagine that. We both booked seats on the same shuttle, at the same time. It's almost as if I know you well enough to know you'll disobey my request not once, but twice," he said.

"Oh, shut up. It'll be fine. Rory brought his sword," the ginger said, rolling her eyes and patting what appeared to be a normal ballpoint pen clipped to Rory's belt loop.

"If something we can kill with a sword comes at us, I'll be delighted. No, it's the un-beheadable things I'm worried about," he said cryptically, pulling out his sonic and spinning around, looking at the room. He began waving it about, pointing at random points behind chairs and on the ceiling as it buzzed, doing it's sonic thing. "Entertainment system," he explained to the pair. "It's not entertaining, though, just annoying and overwhelming. I'm disabling it. This way, we can meet our fellow travelers."

As he spoke and pointed his sonic screwdriver around, the second pilot came out and, as he predicted, tried to activate televisions and projectors and lights and music, describing each in great detail before pressing a button and failing to turn them all on. It was obvious who had been on the trip before- those who had been and had experienced the unpleasant 'entertainment' looked relieved, while the new travelers frowned.

"Well then!" the Doctor said, standing up and clapping his hands together happily. "We can just introduce ourselves to each other and make friends and such!" One skinny, punkish young man with mess black hair frowned up at him.

"Do I know you?" the man asked. The Doctor stared at him for a moment, looked at the girl beside him, and blinked.

"No, but we can get to know each other," he said happily. The man hesitated.

"I'm Damian. Damian Cane. And this is my fiancé, Izzy. You remind me of a man my father told me about. Some ghost story or something," he said boldly.

"Your father- he wouldn't be Jethro Cane, would he?" the Doctor asked. The boy nodded.

"_Was_ Jethro Cane. He died in a motorcycle accident three years ago," he shrugged. "We weren't very close, but he told me a story once, about him coming here and the shuttle breaking, and something about a ghost, possessing a woman, and some man who said he was clever."

"I'm sorry to hear that," the Doctor said sincerely. "He was a fine man."

"That story… he said it was real, but it couldn't have been. I mean, ghosts? Possession? But- don't laugh at me- you remind me of the clever man from his story. You weren't…" he broke off, blushing.

"There? Nahh, not there, not this man. But," he said, eyes deep, "all stories have grains of truth in them. I won't let anything like that happen."

"Doctor?" Amy said, tugging on the bottom of his coat. He turned to her, noticing with happiness that the other three passengers seemed to be getting to know each other, and leaned down so they could talk confidentially. "Doctor, what was that about ghosts? Were you really there?"

"Yes."

"Was there really a ghost? And possession?" she asked, eyes wide. The Doctor gave her a grim smile.

"Ghosts aren't real. Now, you two ought to meet Damian and Izzy. They're going to get married, going on a trip in space first. Sound familiar? I'm going to talk with the other passengers." With that he went to the front of the shuttle and sat down beside an elder woman, smiling.

**I feel like this chapter doesn't have much content, so if I get two reviews then I'll update immediately... so if you just say anything, ANYTHING AT ALL, I'll give youse another chapter tonight!**


	4. Just a Story

After a while of getting to meet the other passengers, everyone knew each other pretty well. There were:

Neil, a middle-aged man, had a head of thick, light brown hair, and had an open, boyish face. He was there for his photography business (for the second time), as well as showing his eight-year-old daughter the galaxy. His wife had been a nurse, and died caring for those with deadly, infectious diseases. His daughter, Ella, had only been two when it happened, but he loved her twice as much to make up for it anyways. He had come to Midnight to photograph the famous crystal sights, and had gone to canyon the day before. Ella let Izzy braid her strawberry-blonde curls and talked about her martial arts classes, as well as her latest paintings that she'd done based on her father's photos. She had already been offered scholarships to three different artist academies, she explained with wide brown eyes like her father's.

Helen, a stout elderly woman whose doctor had told her that she had two months left to live, was seeing the few places she'd never been before her time ran out. She wore a rosary around her withered neck, and talked of her death fearlessly. Ella, in the innocent way that young children had, asked her if she was going to heaven. Helen laughed and ruffled her hair, saying that only the Lord could decide that, though she said, "You've got a good soul, love, and you just keep your head straight and your heart pure. I'm sure that someday, a very long time from now, I'll greet you at those pearly gates." She had never been married, and had no grandchildren but plenty of nieces and nephews, enough that twelve children called her Great-Auntie Helen. In her "glory days", she had been a mechanic, a teacher, and a florist.

Damian was a musician, and at 26 years old, he had already released one album with his band, Perspectives. Not only was his body and face thin and tall, but his fingers were long and skinny as well, perfect for playing keyboard, he said. After much begging and pleading (and a big-eyed stare from his wife) he opened a digital-hologram keyboard program. He played and sang a few songs for everyone, blushing every time he was applauded and brushing off compliments modestly. He was smart enough to know music could only take him so far, so he was also taking college classes to double major in nutrition and physical therapy.

Izzy was 24, and was quiet. She had long, blue-black straight hair, a round, pale face, and pale blue eyes. She didn't say much, but when she did speak, she had a charisma about her that made everyone listen. She had silver wing earrings and a black outline tattoo of a falling star on her wrist. Damian looked at her with total devotion, talking about how she was so fun all the time, whether it was a relaxing resort, or a huge party concert. When she did speak up, she spoke as if issuing a challenge, or made references to parties or places she had been. She wasn't vain, or self-centered, just bold and thoughtful. It was her third trip to Midnight.

Amy became good friends with Izzy and Damian quickly, while Rory gravitated more toward Neil, Ella, and Helen. The Doctor moved from group to group, avoiding Damian. When he had introduced himself as merely "the Doctor," Damian's brow furrowed with half-remembered thoughts. Eventually, he went to the cockpit, using his specially stamped ticket to open the door. The second pilot whirled around, and the second pilot stood up.

"I'm… sorry, sir, but, um, you aren't permitted to b-be up here," he said, saying it as if it was a question. The Doctor laughed.

"No, no, you misunderstand. I'm the inspector," he said, flashing his psychic paper.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't… I mean, I thought all inspectors were Spyders," the second pilot muttered apologetically, ducking his head. The Doctor patted him on the shoulder in a forgiving way, but didn't meet his eyes. He was too busy looking around the room, probing every shadow and smudge in every corner, as if an enemy was concealed within.

"Not a worry, not a worry. I'm the Doctor."

"Raab, sir. Copilot Raab."

"And your friend, there, the talkative one?" he gestured to the other pilot who hadn't moved or spoke.

"Oh, no, sir. He's not really here. He called in sick today, so they're using a hologram of one of his previous flights," Raab explained.

"Why don't they use holograms all the time, then? If they have a pilot that does a perfect flight every time, wouldn't that be ideal?" the Doctor asked.

"Well… a program that does it perfect every time is wonderful, but it can't deal with anything unexpected. If anything was to be different from the day that flight was done, then the results would be terrible," Raab explained. The Doctor smiled, and the copilot hesitated. "But… you already knew that, didn't you? You don't want holograms flying the shuttles all the time, right?"

"Right! Good read, man, good read. I was just making sure that you have a good head on your shoulders and don't put too much faith in lifeless light-shows," he said confidently, patting him once more on the back before beginning to inspect the monitors and readouts.

"A good head on my shoulders? You're the first to ever tell me that. I'm… shy. So people assume I'm not smart," Raab said doubtfully.

"Just you wait. So when did all these extra precautions start? Triple-force fields, outer hull, 3,000 volt-," he stopped and pressed his ear to the wall, then sniffed it as Raab looked on, baffled at his behavior. "No, 4,500 volt layer, central hull, shock absorbers, inner hull… this is for more that bumping into a crystal spire, or protecting from X-tonic radiation," the Doctor mulled.

"A while ago, sir. There was an accident, thirty or forty years ago. Some kind of hull breach. I don't know much more than that, except that two women and both pilots died and the rest of the passengers had to have treatment." Raab looked more nervous than ever, shifting his weight and staring at the floor. The Doctor stood up and faced him, looking him up and down.

"You know something else, don't you, Raab," he said quietly. Raab nodded, looking ill. "It's okay. Sit down, and you can tell me about it." Raab sat while the Doctor leaned against the console.

"Well… it's complicated. There are only rumors, and bits of facts. One of my friends in flight school, she wanted to know why they wouldn't tell us anything about that day, except that there was a breach and everything would be fine. She knew they were keeping something from us. Hell," he laughed nervously, "we all knew. She tried to get the tapes- the tapes of every flight are recorded, every success, every failure. There's never been a missing tape. But the system couldn't find it. She searched, and had a hacker friend who searched, but they've been removed from the system. So she looked for the shuttle bay tapes for that day. Those hadn't been removed. She… she told me what she saw, just before. I actually think that was the last time I talked to her. She disappeared. We were told she handed in her resignation, but I think she didn't go willingly. I don't think they killed her," he added quickly, with certainty. "If anything, she was shipped back to her home planet, three galaxies over, where she can't talk. Midnight isn't that cruel. She's reasonable, and logical, and cold sometimes, but she isn't cruel."

"What did she say about the tapes? Your pilot friend, who disappeared. What. Did. She. See?" the Doctor whispered.

"She said… there wasn't much damage. Hardly any at all, actually. Not to the deck where the passengers were, at least. She said… the cockpit was gone. Entirely gone. Like it had been torn away. That's what happened to the pilots. But the passengers should've been safe. There weren't any holes. So there wasn't actually a breach. Nothing could've gotten in of the hull. Nowhere for X-tonic radiation to seep in, except the doors, but those close automatically before exposure becomes dangerous. There shouldn't have even been enough to do any damage, let alone kill two and put the rest in treatment. So if nothing got in, then the only way anyone got hurt is if they went out. The two who died… they left the shuttle. And I don't have any idea what the others were treated for," he said in a rush. The Doctor pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut.

"Probably debriefed."

"Debriefed? What do you mean?"

"They were returned in the same condition they left in. Meaning a mind-wipe, or psychiatric treatment. That's the treatment."

"How do you know this?"

"I was there." He let out a long, loud breath. "You might as well know- shy one like you, won't go running around telling everyone. And I need at least one inside man. Thing is, I'm not a Spyder. I've been trying to pretend this never happened for too long. I have to figure this out, because there are seven people in that other room that have lives that matter, and two of them I love more than anything. I swore to take care of them." His voice got louder and louder as he spoke, until he was shouting the last sentence. He smacked his palm against the wall, the other hand on his hip, and turned so Raab was looking at his back, tense with controlled energy. "Do you want to know what really happened that day, years ago?"

MEANWHILE

"And then, he shows up in a fez and holding a mop, telling us he's the coolest thing around, being all 'Fez's are cool, bowties are cool,'" Amy said in a rough pantomime of the Doctor's voice. Helen, Damian, and Izzy laughed.

"What a peculiar friend," Damian said, shaking his head. "Are you sure he was never here?"

"Well… no. He might've been. Who knows? That man, he's been everywhere, everywhen. I wouldn't doubt it. What were you saying to him earlier, that thing about a ghost story?"

"Oh, that," Damian replied, rolling his eyes. "It's nothing."

"No, sweetie, go ahead and tell them. It's a good story," Izzy put in, running a hand through his hair affectionately.

"Okay, fine," he surrendered. Amy pulled Rory over, and he tapped Neil on the shoulder and shushed Ella so everyone could give Damian their full attention. Damian looked around self-consciously, clearly uncomfortable with everyone's attention on him, but started his story regardless.

"My father was pretty young at the time. Younger than me- he was travelling with his parents, my grandparents. They came to Midnight for a vacation, and went on a shuttle to go see the Sapphire Waterfall. Exactly like we are right now. Something was going on with the route, some kind of problem on the normal trail they took, so they went a different way that nobody had travelled before. Everything was fine and great, until the shuttle suddenly stopped. Dad said they had been talking about how eerie it was that Midnight had never had living things touch it, and how it had no history or anything, and then suddenly the shuttle stopped. He would ramble about that, so much, as if it was very significant.

"He said there was knocking on the walls. Like something sentient was trying to get in. It, whatever it was, rattled the doors, and they could hear it moving around. One of the men on the flight, a clever, quirky man," here his eyes flicked to the control room where the Doctor had disappeared to, and the others followed his gaze with confusion, "he knocked on the wall. The thing knocked back, repeating the patterns. And this woman, she got terrified, and the power went out and a wall got a dent in it, and when they got lights back… she was hunched over, and couldn't move. She was possessed by something, it got inside and went in her, and she repeated everything everyone said. The clever man- he talked to it a lot. And it started saying things when people said it, like at the exact same time, like it knew what they were going to say. They all wanted to throw it out- even my father.

"The clever man, though, said no, and they turned on him, the passengers did. They threatened to throw him out, and he calmed them down a little, and then talked to the thing. It had started saying what he said, at the exact same time he said it, but only what he said. It wasn't doing it to the others. And then it went inside the man, too, and it was draining him, but the woman it was inside, she said it had left her and convinced them to throw him out instead. They were going to throw him out… they all, even Dad, helped drag him to the door, but then the hostess realized it wasn't in the Doctor, it was in the woman, and she grabbed her and pulled her out. They both died, the hostess and the woman." Damian bowed his head sadly. It was quiet for a moment.

"But… why isn't anyone talking about this? Why didn't they shut the shuttles down?" Amy asked.

"Mind-wipes. The passengers, they had their memories erased. But it takes a few tries- the tech isn't perfect yet, and after every try, they checked with the person to see if it worked. My dad didn't want to forget, so he lied, claimed he didn't remember anything. The other passengers, they wanted to forget. They were horrified at what they'd done. So was Dad, but he didn't want to forget the courage the hostess had, or lose anything he'd gained from the experience," Damian explained.

"Jethro was a brave, thoughtful man," Izzy put in.

"Did the thing inside the woman, the possessing thing, did it die too?" Neil asked, putting his hand on his daughter's shoulder.

"They don't know. Probably. They killed the body it was in, anyways," Damian said, shrugging.

"But it survived before without a body. What if it's still out there?" he wrapped his arms around Ella protectively, eyes full of fear.

"Well, this was a rare thing. And it's only a story, anyways."

"This shuttle- it's super reinforced steel," Helen said confidently. "Even before the improvements, the shuttles were impossible to damage. And I've spent some time with the Spyders. I trust this shuttle." She knocked a fist against the wall twice, proving her lack of worry.

BONG BONG, her fist went.

BONG BONG, something replied.

**HA HA cliff-hanger! :D It's fanfiction. We live, breathe, and poop cliffhangers. Get used to it.**

**Also- I just realized, in the other chapters, I had used three dashes instead of saying MEANWHILE. And they didn't show up. Oops. I'll see what I can do to remedy, but chances are slim. All the future chapters should be fixed, though. Sorry… Anyways, reviews are welcome! I'm not sure how many chapters there will be- I've been dividing it as I go, but there'll definitely be at least four more. AT LEAST. And the action starts next chapter! So if you review, I can post, you can get the action-y parts started, and review more. See how the cycle goes? DON'T BREAK THE CYCLE. Review.**


	5. Knock Knock

BONG BONG, her fist went.

BONG BONG, something replied.

"OhmyGod," Amy gasped, jumping away from the wall. Rory stood up, his sword materializing, and stood between her and the wall.

"What the hell was that?" Izzy said in a shrieking whisper, on the edge of hysteria.

BONG BONG

"This isn't happening. It can't be happening," Damian whispered, eyes huge.

"Daddy," Ella cried, grabbing her father's knee. "What was that?"

"It's okay, honey. It was… rocks. Rocks falling and hitting the side of the shuttle," Neil said. But he looked nervous anyways.

BONG BONG BONG

The sound came from the other side of the shuttle. Everyone gasped and moved away from the sound.

"Doctor!" Amy shouted. The door to the control room slid open and the Doctor came in.

"What, what? What's all the hoopla?" the Time Lord said, taking in the frightened passengers. An urgent sounding beeping came from the control room, and Raab hustled back in to check.

"Something is… knocking. On the outside," Rory explained, not taking his eyes away from the point where the sound had last come from.

"Nothing can be knocking, that's impossible. We're moving, super fast, on a lifeless diamond planet," he said, but he walked over to check the wall anyways.

BONG BONG BONG BONG

"Doctor?" Raab appeared in the doorway. "Um, can I talk to you for a moment?"

"About what?"

"N-nothing, a, um, small technical difficulty."

"We've stopped, haven't we." His face was grim. He licked his lips, something Amy had come to realize was the only sign he was shocked or nervous. "The shocks absorbed the jolt. We aren't moving. Raab, go back into the cockpit and lock yourself in. Send a signal back to the resort, tell them to come pick us up, pronto." Raab nodded and retreated into the cockpit, and the Doctor waved his sonic at the door when it closed behind him, adding extra fortifications to make sure it stayed shut.

"So what about the thing knocking?" Damian asked.

"It's dead out there, we're safe," Helen said again firmly. "X-tonic radiation, remember?"

"But what about last time? What about Jethro's story?" Neil asked.

"Just a story."

BONG BONG

"Oh, no it's not," the Doctor said.

"Yes, it is!" Neil bellowed, pulling Ella closer to him. "Don't listen to the man, honey. Just a story."

The Doctor's eyes were steely, and he was moving his sonic up and down the wall, ignoring Neil. "Outer and central hull are breached. Electrical shield is down." Everyone started talking at once, voices rising with panic. "No, no, no! We can't panic," he said loudly.

"He's right. Panic is what let it in, when that woman got afraid," Damian said.

"That woman- she had a name. Sky. And you're exactly right."

"You were there, weren't you?" he asked. The Doctor hesitated, but didn't reply. The answer was obvious enough. He walked to the wall and knocked twice.

BONG BONG, it answered. He backpedaled to the center of the room.

"So! Everyone, away from the walls. Actually, why don't you all get on that side of the room. Rory, stand by me. I'm going to open the door," he said, taking off his jacket and straightening his bow tie. Amy grabbed her husband by the collar and kissed him, and he tried to hug her while keeping his sword a safe distance away from her to avoid hurting her.

"No, don't open it!" Izzy barked. "Are you stupid? You'll let it in!"

"Well, either we let it in or it comes in. Either way, it's coming in, and I'd much rather do it this way and be able to know exactly when it enters and where it goes. If it breaks in, then it will kill the lights, just like it did last time."

"Last time! So you really were there!" Damian exclaimed. "But Dad said you were tall, and had a thinner face and a trench coat. And you're… much younger than I'd imagined."

"Not younger, older. I've changed, kind of drastically. Well, regenerated, technically, which is pretty drastic. But it's the same me, essentially," he explained absentmindedly, his mouth going while his mind raced on a different track. He began tracing the door frame with his sonic.

"Then you know! Last time, it was catastrophic, it tried to drain you, and four people died!" Izzy shouted, jumping to her feet. "Don't you open that!"

BONG BONG BONG BONG

"You know, I think she's right… can't you conduct this experiment when it's not putting us at risk?" Neil said pleadingly.

"I'll fight it!" Ella said happily, raising her hands defensively.

"Of course you will, honey," Neil said distractedly. "But please, Doctor, you're putting us in danger."

"Weren't you listening?" The Doctor turned to face Neil, looking him up and down critically. "If I don't let it in, it will force its way in, and then we won't know what's going on." He straightened the man's collar, smoothing his shirt. "We have no choice. It's getting in one way or another."

"He's right," Damian said quietly, but his wife sent him a furious look and turned her head, crossing her arms.

"Good! Now, all in favor of letting it smash and rip its way in here and forcibly enter, and having the advantage of taking the first move?" Nobody raised their hand. "All in favor of opening the door?" Neil, Ella, Amy, Rory, and Damian raised their hands. Izzy curled her lip, and Helen shook her head.

"I'm telling you, there's nothing out there. We're overreacting to a scary ghost story and a few technical difficulties," she argued.

"Helen, I was there," the Doctor said impatiently. "Not a ghost story. This is real, this is _happening_."

"How could you be there? You're not a day over thirty, if that," she scoffed. "You're just going along with this, playing a game. You think it's all fun, this treachery. Scaring us all. You won't even tell us your name."

"Names are funny things," he said vaguely, waving a hand.

BONG BONG

"Funny, like this great time you're having, messing with us like this."

"Sure, I'm having a great time. I'm locked in a shuttle, hours away from any hospitable living beings, there's creature who tried and almost succeeded in sucking the life and mind out of me, and _he's knocking on the door_. Oh, and this creature also tried to throw me outside, which would end in a _rapid_ and _painful_ incineration," he said, voice thick with sarcasm. "If there's nothing out there, then why shouldn't I open the door?"

"The X-tonic radiation!"

"Imagine a magic eight ball. All that inky stuff inside, looks dark, like there's no way you'd be able to see the words, but they're visible anyways, and… Actually, never mind. Don't imagine a magic eight ball, it's nothing like that at all. More like a… snow globe. No, no… You're a mechanic. You know that it's safe for exactly six seconds." He rolled his eyes and turned back to the door. "Now then. I'm opening this. Speak now, or forever hold your peace." Nobody stepped forward. He reached for the button, sonic ready in his other hand. Rory raised his sword.

BONG BONG

BONG

The floor pitched suddenly, tilting violently to one side, than the other, throwing the passengers against each other and into the chairs.

"No, no, no!" the Doctor shouted in protest. "I was about to let you in! You don't have to-," here the lights went out, "NO! Wait!"

The shuttle stopped shaking, and the air was silent. Amy moaned and pushed herself off Rory's back, where she'd landed. Damian and Izzy climbed out from between two chairs, while Neil uncurled himself from the protective ball he'd curled in around Ella. Hanna pulled herself out of the chair she'd fallen in.

"Doctor?" Amy called. A hand grabbed the top of a seat, and the Doctor's head followed, hair askew and one suspender hanging loose.

"Yes, I'm fine," he said, snapping his suspender back up and running a hand through his hair. "Everyone okay?"

"We're fine," Neil said, ruffling Ella's hair.

"My bottom is going to be bruised for a week," Helen huffed, "But otherwise, I'm okay."

"Good here," Izzy said, speaking for her and Damian.

"I'm fine," Amy said, reaching a hand down to help Rory up. He stood awkwardly, right arm pressed against his side, and holding his sword in his left hand.

"Rory?" the Doctor asked quietly. He nodded.

"He said he's fine. He's a tough boy," she said, patting his pale cheek lovingly.

"He's also right handed," the Doctor pointed out slowly, walking toward him cautiously.

"What?" she noticed how he was holding his sword.

"Rory… why are you holding your sword in your left hand?" the Doctor asked gently, still speaking very slowly and carefully.

"Um. I'm, um… working on becoming ambidextrous," he said unconvincingly. Amy grabbed his right arm and pulled it away from his side. A red stain was forming across his ribs, about six inches long. Amy gasped.

"Okay. I lied. I might have a minor issue." Then his knees gave out and he fell to the floor.

**Action! Toldja so! I was going to save the part where Rory gets hurt for the next chapter, but I couldn't wait. Don't tell me you didn't see this coming- Rory always gets hurt. Just don't make assumptions- nothing is as it seems on Midnight!  
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**When you review, take some guesses on what's going to happen. Just for fun!**


	6. Deterioration

"Oh, God! Rory!" Amy gasped. "You're hurt!"

"Yeah, I, uh, might've landed on my sword. A little," he mumbled, eyes squeezed tight and face twisted in a grimace of pain. Her eyes grew huge.

"Let me look."

"It's fine, it's not that deep. It stopped when it hit my ribs," he confessed, but his halting voice betrayed how much it hurt, how bad it was. The Doctor was kneeling at his side in an instant and Amy ripped his shirt away. "Hey, you broke the buttons," Rory protested mildly, becoming slightly woozy. The red stain had grown noticeable- there was now a small puddle of blood on the floor. "This is my favorite button-up shirt. I'm a nurse, it isn't that awful."

"Lie back," Amy barked, pushing his shoulders down, while the Doctor inspected the wound, tilting his head this way and that.

"He's right, it isn't too terrible… We've got to get the bleeding stopped, but that's the worst part. I'd say it needs about three stitches, here in the middle," he poked the spot and Rory yelped. "Sorry. Amy, give me that hand towel, under the chair. Do we have a medicine kit here anywhere?" he asked, folding the complimentary towel into a pad and pressing it on the wound to slow the bleeding. Rory winced, but knew that it had to be done.

"I've got stuff," Neil said, opening his bag and pulling out a blue container. Amy grabbed it and opened it, pulling out a bag of cheese crackers, a sandwich, and a pair of juice boxes. "Oh, sorry, wrong box… Here," he said, handing her a different one. This one had batteries and lens cloths and camera lenses. Amy huffed impatiently, and snatched his backpack. In a second, she'd pulled out the right white box with a red cross on it.

"What kind of fool doesn't know that the one with the red cross is the 'help-hurt-people' one," she grumbled, pulling out butterfly tape, antiseptic, gauze, and medical tape. She grabbed the antiseptic and began pouring it over Rory's wound.

"Ow, ow!" he hissed. She gasped and stopped.

"Sorry, sorry! What do I do?"

"No, it's supposed to do that… but you can probably stop. That's enough, and I keep my blade clean always," he suggested, wincing. He sat up. "Maybe I'd better do this… I'm the nurse here."

"Right. Right, okay," she said, handing him the box. He quickly pinched it together and stuck the butterfly stitches over it, then pushed some gauze over it and covered it with medicine tape. He let out the breath he'd been holding.

"OWWWWWWWWWwwwwwww ow ow ow," he groaned. "Treating others is so much easier. I didn't realize that hurts so much. I'd almost rather have left it." He pulled his shirt on and went to button it, then frowned at the torn buttons. He picked up his sword and stood up, leaning on Amy. "Right. So. Midnight monster?" he said, trying to take attention off himself and go back to the matter on hand.

"Not a monster. Just confused, and new to people," the Doctor corrected, shaking his finger at him. "And I would say… it's here. But you aren't getting involved. You should probably sit." Rory rolled his eyes and remained standing.

"Great. Well, that worked well," Izzy said scathingly. "It's inside someone right now. So why isn't anyone hunched over or repeating like what happened last time?"

"Well," the Doctor mulled, scratching his head thoughtfully, "I would guess that, since it already assimilated the ability to learn and talk last time, it doesn't need to learn it again."

"So… it could be in anyone? And we wouldn't be able to tell? That's _brilliant_. What a fine mess you've got us in, _Doctor_," she said, sneering his name.

"Calm down, Iz, it's okay," Damian said, trying to comfort her. She glared at him.

"How will we know who it's in?" Neil asked slowly.

"Well… I'm not exactly sure. We'll have to watch each other for signs. Last time, it used mob psychology, and seemed fascinated by the light and warmth. But then, it's already experienced it once, so we can disregard that," he corrected. "Anyone not acting like themselves. And…" he hesitated. _Why am I even telling them anything? They won't recognize it anyways. What are the chances they'll overreact? _he thought.

"What?" Rory asked.

"It got in when emotion let it in. Strong emotion. It seemed drawn to strong emotion, especially fear and anger. Sky was certainly scared, and angry. I was angry."

"You were scared too, though," Damian argued.

"Yes, okay, I was scared. When it singled me out. It was terrifying. Even before it singled me out, they wanted to kill me, and before that, I knew it was going to chose me, the cleverest in the room," he confessed grumpily. "It's something new and never seen before and I didn't know what it could do, what it would do. It was invading my friend's minds. It's a scary creature."

"But it was just confused, you said," Neil spoke.

"Yeah, and last time, you defended it, you wanted to save it, even after it killed Sky and took her body," Damian agreed.

"How do you know it killed Sky, and it didn't just push her consciousness down? You're suddenly an expert on this monster," Amy said darkly. _It's him. His father was weak to it, tried to throw someone out. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree,_ she thought.

"Dad told me!" He looked at her blankly, then blanched. "Oh, you don't think it's in me?"

"Who knows. It might. It might not. There's no way to tell," she said coldly.

"You're awful quick to accuse, that's just as suspicious," he shot back. _It's in her. She's defensive, pointing her finger before someone points at her,_ he thought.

"Or her husband. He was bleeding, he was cut. Wouldn't that be an easy win? 'The life is in the blood'," Helen quoted, narrowing her eyes.

"Now, let's not rush into things," the Doctor protested, holding his hands up, but the passengers ignored him. _They're already arguing. It's already winning, and the game has barely started. They're going to pick someone and try to throw them out, just like last time. And last time… they chose me,_ he thought. The idea made his eyes darken with fear.

"It gets in your _mind_, not your body! Weak minds and weak emotion lets it in, not a cut," Amy said belligerently.

"Maybe we ought to listen to the Doctor, and not accuse anyone," Neil said.

"Maybe it's in your daughter! She's awful quiet. And everyone knows that in horror movies, children get possessed," Izzy barked. _A little girl, so innocent, so sweet… I could never hurt her. It would be the perfect host_, she thought.

"She's just a little girl," Neil said dismissively. "It goes for the cleverest."

"You've lived a long time. Bet you've got lots of clever stuff in there," Amy said to Helen. _I'm so angry… someone here has the monster inside them, and I can't let it hurt me. Or Rory. Or the Doctor. But the cleverest… what if it's in the Doctor? He would want us to kill him…_ she thought. Then she blinked, pushing the thought away. _No, no, where did that come from? He would want us to bring him to the TARDIS. Restrain him, if necessary. _ She silently berated herself for even considering killing him. She knew better than that.

Helen narrowed her eyes. "Age doesn't make someone clever, it makes them wise."

"Same difference, though, isn't it?" Izzy said slowly, raising an eyebrow.

"The Lord is with me. My mind is my castle, the Holy Spirit my moat. I am protected."

"Just the fact that you believe in such posh is proof that your mind is weak and vulnerable," Izzy said.

"Or you're clever enough to believe in God, and you'd be the ideal victim," Rory suggested. _But the cleverest here is the Doctor. He's also the strongest, the most powerful. He doesn't die, he has a time-space machine at his disposal, but…_ he suddenly realized where his thoughts were going._ No. He's strong enough, he wouldn't let it in. He can't be possessed. We'd know, wouldn't we?_ But the dangerous thoughts were back, louder than before. _He got possessed once. It could happen again._

"Guys, guys-,"

"I'm not possessed! Why would it possess me, anyways? I'm old," she protested. _I'm not a good host. The Lord will protect me. The other one, who is old… or claims to be… doesn't have faith. He has no protection,_ she thought.

"The Doctor is old, and it tried to take him," Amy said.

"It's not me! It's-,"

"But that's what _it_ would say," Izzy said, advancing on the woman. _Whoever has the monster must die. I must protect my husband, and the people back at the resort. Have to keep the universe safe for my future family. Whoever it is- we can't risk it. Have to kill her… or him._ "You didn't crash into the walls like the rest of us. I saw you, sitting there. It was entering you. I bet you were all curled up, like that woman was- lucky it was dark, so we didn't see. We ought to lock you in the closet until the rescue comes."

"A door wouldn't contain it," Neil said.

"Right. It already came in through three hulls of reinforced steel," Damian agreed, moving to stand beside Izzy. _What if we're wrong? Who else could it be? Nobody, nobody else is that clever... except the Doctor. And it got him last time… but no, it must be her_. Neil got up and stood beside, Ella beside him. Rory and Amy followed, until they made a semicircle around the old woman.

"I think we're being a little hasty," the Doctor said, moving to stand beside Helen. "I've seen it before, she isn't acting like the creature did." _Got to be careful, can't let the same thing happen… what if it's actually in me? Hiding away, waiting… I've had it in me before. If it is in me, I can't let it get to the resort, to the TARDIS. Can't let it have any of what I've got- who knows what it could do._

"I think we're being perfectly logical," Izzy snapped. "Get out of the way."

"But what will we do with her? We can't lock her in a closet, it might get out. The door has cracks and isn't strong enough," Damian said.

"She's old, and weak. She isn't going to force her way out," Rory pointed out.

"True…"

"But would you take that chance?" Neil said. "Would you endanger your loved one's lives on it?" Rory looked at Amy, and Damian took Izzy's hand.

"Well, what then?"

"We throw her out," Neil said. It was silent for a moment.

**Here they go again. And before you get all ticked about Rory's injury just seeming redundant and unimportant to the actual plot, I have to say that it'll come back later. Rory's troubles aren't over. It wasn't just some silly quick whim I threw in there. You guys know how Doctor Who works- EVERYTHING is connected.**

**Any more guesses about who it's in?**


	7. Invasion and Blood

"I think we're being perfectly logical," Izzy snapped. "Get out of the way."

"But what will we do with her? We can't lock her in a closet, it might get out. The door has cracks and isn't strong enough," Damian said.

"She's old, and weak. She isn't going to force her way out," Rory pointed out.

"True…"

"But would you take that chance?" Neil said. "Would you endanger your loved one's lives on it?" Rory looked at Amy, and Damian took Izzy's hand.

"Well, what then?"

"We throw her out," Neil said. It was silent for a moment.

"That is absolutely ridicu-," the Doctor started, but was interrupted.

"It worked last time," Izzy said thoughtfully. "And she's weak, we could do it."

"I don't know about that," Rory said uncomfortably. _I think… it might be the Doctor. It makes sense- he hasn't done any magical rescue like he usually would, and it's already got in him once, and he thinks it would go for the cleverest, and the most afraid… he admitted to being afraid. _He cringed_. No, no. Can't kill the Doctor. Why would I even think that? The old woman… it's barely even murder. She's going to die anyways, and soon. If anything, it's a mercy killing, freeing her from the monster and the pain she'll feel before dying. And during. Dying hurts._

"Then what?" Neil hissed. "You leave her in here to kill your wife? To get in the rescue shuttle and be brought back to the resort, and kill all those people? We have to make a choice. End one life, or keep thousands out of harm's way."

"Daddy, we can't kill her," Ella said, tugging on her father's pant leg.

"Why not? We're stronger than her. And everyone dies eventually," he said coldly. "Don't interfere, sweetie."

"If it's her or you," Amy started, looking at Rory, "I'd rather it be her." Rory hesitated, then nodded.

"I agree. We throw her out."_ I have to kill it to save Amy. Must protect Amy, above all else._

"Let's get rid of her," Izzy snarled. _The monster must die._

"We can't risk the lives of the people in the resort," Damian agreed. _Can't let it start draining people, getting in other heads. Have to end it quickly, faster than last time._

"No, no, no!" the Doctor shouted, throwing his arms out. "You aren't throwing her out! We don't have any evidence that it's her. It wouldn't pick her anyways, she only has two months left. It's smarter than that!"

"Get out of the way," Izzy shouted back, her hands curling into fists.

"He has a point," Neil said suddenly. Everyone looked at him. "It wouldn't pick an old, almost dead body. It would, however," he said slowly, turning to stare at the Doctor, "take someone who doesn't appear to age, and isn't just old and wise, but clever."

"Him?" Damian said incredulously. "Actually, though, you could be right."

"What? No, not me," the Doctor said, confused. _No. No. No, not again. I won't let this happen._

"Yes, you. You've already had contact with it. How do we know it left you last time? It could still be in you. Calling you back. And you wanted to open the door," Neil explained, looking at the others with wide eyes. "I just want to protect us. All my life, I've just taken pictures of things, preserved them, never changed them. Now, it's time to change things.

"We've been given the opportunity to fix something. Fate threw us in here, the seven of us. One of the seven is plagued, and it's up to us to save the rest of the galaxy from this… abomination. Do you know what would happen if he got loose, spread it around? This isn't a man… it's a rat. Carrying a plague. We have to make a decision. This isn't the Doctor anymore- it's not even killing. This… creature. It already killed him."

"Well… he seems normal. We're with him, and he's never shown any inclination to here before. When we arrived, he didn't want to stay at all," Amy said.

"But what if it's because he could feel it in him, and didn't want to come here and have it rise up in him? Like it has?" Izzy said.

"Well… then we wait until we get back, and we take him back to the TAR-, um, his house, and… someone there can fix him," Rory said.

"But it could spread."

"He can't go back and endanger all those people," Damian agreed. Izzy patted his hair encouragingly.

"We can't throw him out," Amy said quickly.

"Why not? You were willing to throw her out when you thought it was in her," Neil pointed out, gesturing to Helen, who was curled up in a chair, trying not to interfere. "We're wasting time. We're already endangering ourselves."

"Daddy, we can't. He's funny," Ella protested.

"He's not funny. He's wicked. And wicked things must die," he said icily.

"Endangering ourselves- how?" Damian asked, confused. "It's just in one person. Right?"

"You can hear it. Inside your head. Telling you to kill the monster. But it made a mistake- It told you to kill the monster, but your intuition told you that the Doctor is the monster. We have to kill it before it takes total control."

"Oh, God, I can hear it," Izzy moaned, covering her ears. _No, no, not the Doctor. It's not the Doctor. Don't touch him,_ she thought. No… _it_ told her.

"Me too. We have to get rid of it!" Damian exclaimed, stepping forward, and cringing as the voice in his head snarled.

"No, you can't," Amy argued. _No, no, don't. Don't hurt him,_ she thought. But she shivered when she realized she wasn't sure if she was thinking it, or the monster was telling her to think it.

"You're not killing him," Rory agreed, holding up his sword, readying for a fight. But he wasn't ready fast enough.

Quick as a snake, Izzy jumped forward and thrust her nails into his side. After dying once, nearly dying a few more times, and fighting in bloody Roman battles, he would've thrown her off easily. But, already weak from blood loss, he staggered. Then her nails dug into the gauze in his side, pushing and tearing at his wound. He shouted in pain, doubling over, and Neil lunged forward and grabbed the blade of the sword, tearing it out of Rory's grasp. He flipped it over and grabbed the handle, mindless of the bloody cut on his palm.

"No, stop!" Amy cried, lunging at Izzy. Neil swung the sword down, forcing Amy to freeze. The edge, already bloodied from Neil's hand and Rory's side, pressed against her throat. Rory froze, with Izzy pulling his head back with a handful of his hair. The air was suddenly thick and silent.

"Don't move, or your wife's head will come off," Neil said coldly. Ella watched with wide eyes. The Doctor slowly raised his hands in surrender.

**It's a bit short- but I only got two reviews D: Those who reviewed are awesome, though. Just one more would be nice? As in, not one review till I post again, but one more than two. As in three reviews before I post again. Other writers demand five or more- I'm being kind here. I just like to know who's reading this, that I'm not wasting my time.**

**Anyways. It's also short because the next bunch of pages are kind of crazy, and this was the best stopping point. We're closing in on the climax of the story! It might be next chapter. I think it'll have three more chapters total.**

**Any more guesses on who's carrying the beast?**


	8. Destruction

**It's long… there will be one more after this, a sort of epilogue. And I know how much we all hate epilogues- usually just a waste of time, but this one does have a little bit of excitement in it. Not a whole lot, I warn you, but I didn't just use it to tie the knot all neat and pretty. Anyways… Enjoy! 3 reviews makes another chapter.**

"No, stop!" Amy cried, lunging at Izzy. Neil swung the sword down, forcing Amy to freeze. The edge, already bloodied from Neil's hand and Rory's side, pressed against her throat. Rory froze, with Izzy pulling his head back with a handful of his hair. The air was suddenly thick and silent.

"Don't move, or your wife's head will come off," Neil said coldly. Ella watched with wide eyes. The Doctor slowly raised his hands in surrender.

"Listen, it's not in me. I've done nothing incriminating. Just let my friends go," he said slowly.

"Nothing incriminating? You wanted to open the door," Izzy said. _Yes, but… Don't kill him! _The voice said. _Shut up,_ she thought back. _We've got you now._

"And you insist that there's a dangerous creature inside someone here, but won't do anything to find out who it is. You were up in the control room- I bet you stopped the shuttle, so it could get in and get fully inside you," Damian accused. _Don't, no, don't…_ the voice cried, but it was getting weaker. "We're right- it's him. The monster… the voice, it's telling me not to kill him. But it's getting fainter. It knows we have it," he said triumphantly.

"No, I swear-,"

"You won't say your name. You're ageless, and have already been here," Helen put in, joining the fray. _He tried to save you. Right? He's not a monster… it's inside Damian! Not him, it isn't him!_ the voice said, but the persuasive edge was gone.

"Why won't you say your name?" Damian asked.

"I…It's just, I- I don't…" _They're coming for me. What if it is me? I'm so scared. _He pushed the thoughts away. _If it is me… I'll beat this thing. Go willingly. But- No! Fight back! You can't give up and die! But you'll risk others if you don't die._ The Doctor knotted his fingers in his hair, the internal argument making it difficult to think.

"See? You can't even tell us why," Neil said. "Damian. Izzy. Helen. Throw him out."

"No!" Amy screamed, but Neil pressed the sword harder, until a drop of blood slid down her neck, staining her white blouse collar.

"Don't hurt her!" Rory bellowed, clenching and unclenching his hands helplessly. "Doctor, what do we do?"

"Doctor!" Amy shouted, trying to push the sword away, but slapped her brutally across the face and she fell back. He pushed the sword back up against her neck.

"Amelia Pond, STOP!" the Doctor roared in a hoarse voice, plagued with angst. Amy and her husband froze, staring at him with shock and fear.

"What… what are you… you…" Amy stuttered, now choking on sobs.

"I leave the shuttle." Both Rory and Amy blinked at him, disbelieving.

"No, you can't!" "Please, no!" Amy and Rory shouted. He shook his head.

"Its okay. I'll go," he said softly. "Just… keep an eye on River, will you?"

"No," Amy whispered. "You don't die here. I know you don't!"

"Time changes," the Doctor said.

"But… if the thing was in him, he wouldn't give up this easily," Helen said thoughtfully.

"It can survive out there. It already has once. What does it care if it kills another body? That's just the monster in your head, anyways," Damian reasoned darkly. Helen hesitated, then grabbed one of the Doctor's arms as Damian grabbed the other, Izzy walking behind to make sure nothing went wrong. They went to the door beside Neil, faces grim. Amy and Rory began shouting in protest, and Damian shouted back, telling them to be quiet and they wouldn't get hurt. Everything was loud and chaotic, spiraling out of control.

"Daddy, no," Ella cried, shaking her dad's leg. "Don't hurt him!"

"Get out of the way, girl," he snarled, shaking her off. She fell on her bottom, looking shocked, and started to cry.

Izzy blinked, but Neil nodded toward the door, face alight with malicious glee. "Hurry up and toss him. The rescue shuttle will be here soon. Do it!"

"No parent would treat a girl that way," Izzy whispered to herself under the shouting, a look of horror on her face. Suddenly, she dove at Neil. _NO! STOP!_

Amy screamed, and Rory jumped and pulled his wife out of the way just before Neil waved the sword around in pain. Izzy had dug her nails into his face, scoring bloody gouges. He dropped the sword to cover his face and howl. Amy lunged forward and grabbed Ella, pulling her out of the way and tucking her face into her stomach, simultaneously hugging her and covering her eyes and ears. The Doctor shouted as Izzy reached for the sword-

_NO, DON'T YOU DARE- _grabbed the handle-

_NOOO- _and swung it at the thing that used to be Neil.

There was a soft sound of impact, then twin thumps as first his head, then his body hit the floor. The shouting in everyone's heads abruptly stopped. Amy held Ella, both of them crying, while Rory wrapped his arms around both of them. Izzy dropped the sword, her face looking suddenly aged and exhausted. Damian pulled her into his embrace. Hanna covered her face, quiet prayers coming from behind her hands, and the Doctor slid to the floor, staring at the body, head in his hands.

Nobody spoke until they all got off the shuttle, as if not daring to give the monster (if there was anything left of it) any more words. But once they got off, they began talking quietly, sitting together in the bay.

"Did you know it was him?" Amy asked the Doctor. He nodded.

"There is no fear like a father fearing for his daughter," he said solemnly, eyes lost in the past. "Not even a husband fearing for his wife. It let the creature in. And he was curled up when the lights came back on. He didn't know which box was first aid- unfamiliar with human customs, still getting used to us.

"The voice in our heads- it was telling you not to kill me, but it wasn't until after he said that the voice was coming from me. Reverse psychology, of a sort. He was… good. Let you get yourselves riled up, step in as the voice of reason, and gently direct your energies. He was pretty subtle, only revealing himself as the creature when he thought you were all too caught up in calling for my blood to notice. Same thing happened last time- when it got truly chaotic, it couldn't help itself and let the façade slip.

"And then, most of all, he was the only one to lose his love. Helen loved God, Damian and Izzy loved each other, you and you," he said, nodding first to Amy then Rory, "loved each other, but Neil stopped loving his daughter. After decades, maybe even centuries, of loneliness, love isn't an emotion the creature was capable of."

"What will happen to Ella?" Rory asked, staring at the little girl across the room where she sat with Helen, staring at her shoelaces.

"She will be sent to an orphanage, most likely," the Doctor said sadly. "But she's a beautiful young girl with much promise- someone will scoop her up quickly. And this galaxy has few orphans that stay in orphanages for long- due to many stars with high radiation emissions, fertility is low and children are revered. Thermogenic waves, and weak, new flesh- well, you, ahm, don't need to hear all the details. You guys know all about reproduction. But children are somewhat rare here. She'll be adopted within two months," he said confidently, returning to his prattling, science-y self.

"Actually, try two days," a voice said. The Doctor turned to see Izzy and Damian walking over. "We've already requested to adopt her."

"Really? You aren't even married yet, and you're a musician. Are you sure that's a good idea?" Amy asked. Izzy nodded.

"Our wedding is in a week and a half. She'll be a beautiful flower girl."

"And once you get married, you don't stay a musician," Damian admitted. "Trying to start a family doesn't work well with that lifestyle. Moving all the time, late mornings and later nights, parties… well, we've been doing it since I was 16. That's when my band started. After the few years it took to get started, we've had almost seven years of non-stop fame and celebration and parties. It's time to settle down."

"Plus, who else could relate to the trauma she's seen today? Who else would understand? We can help her recover. Damian knows a very good grief counselor. Since his father died, she's practically been the family shrink. Both of them just had their fathers die. They can find solace in each other. Also… I'm… well, I'm- um… fertile," she confessed, wincing. "We talked about adopting before. I can't think of anything I would change, anyone else I would care about more than her. I love her," she said fiercely, "and I'll protect her better than her birth parents did. Nobody deserves to go through something like that again."

Rory nodded. "Well… congratulations!"

Amy smiled. "You've already got the protective mother thing down."

"Do you have children?" Damian asked curiously.

"Yes. We have a daughter… and I would do anything for her. Including," Amy said, turning to smile at the Doctor, "Raise an army, cross the universe, and stop time." Rory put an arm around her shoulders.

"What's her name?"

"Melody Pond," Amy and Rory said, at the same time the Doctor said, "River Song." They blinked and looked at each other. "Now that is going to get confusing," the Doctor laughed.

"She has two names?" Izzy said, puzzled. Amy shook her head.

"It's a long story. It changed a little, being translated back and forth in languages… it's just as strange for us."

"Oh." Izzy and Damian waited for a second, but when nobody explained, they shrugged. "What about you, Doctor?"

"What about me?" he repeated distractedly.

"Do you have children?"

"Oh. Um, well…" he started. Everyone waited, but he appeared lost in his thoughts.

"Doctor?" Amy prodded. He blinked, and shook his head.

"Oh, right. Children. Um… yes. A few. My last daughter… she died. I don't really… I mean, it's… I- um…" he trailed off, furrowing his brow, staring at the table.

"Let me guess. It's a long story," Izzy said, laughing. "It's alright. Does it go along with the mystery of your age? Over forty years old, and looking like you're our age? Being all clever? That little glowing, buzzing tool you use?" The Doctor stammered again for a second, blinking. "I'm sorry about your daughter."

An attendant woman appeared at Izzy's elbow. "Excuse me, but the paperwork is ready to be signed," she said cheerfully. Ella was holding her hand, smiling. They all stood up.

"And it's time we were going. I think we've had enough relaxing," the Doctor said.

"Relaxing? I think I need to recover from this relaxing," Amy said laughing, grabbing Rory's hand and heading for the room where they'd parked the TARDIS.

"And I'd like to get this patched properly," Rory said, gesturing to his side where the bandage was visible on his bare chest. "And get a new shirt."

"Right! Let's blow this joint!" the Doctor exclaimed, raising an arm in what he apparently thought was a valiant pose. Amy and Rory stared at him. "No?"

Amy shook her head, trying not to laugh, while grimaced. "No," they said together.

"Well, fine. Let's just go somewhere else. We'll pay a visit to you," the Doctor said to Izzy and Damian. He crouched down to look Ella in the eyes. "And this funny man will keep an eye out for you," he said, ruffling her hair. She giggled, poking him in the chin.


	9. Lingering Wounds

**Last Chapter**

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor was throwing switches and pushing buttons when Rory and Amy emerged from one of the corridors, Rory pulling on a fresh shirt.

"All patched?" he asked them. Amy nodded.

"Just like you said, three lefts and a right, to the 'stitch-o-matic'," she said, rolling her eyes. "Is that even a real medical machine? Or something you picked up on some creepy alien planet?"

"Did you use the 'human' setting?"

"Duh. Wouldn't want him getting sowed up weird," Amy said, kissing Rory's cheek.

"And you're sure there's no normal black thread?" Rory asked.

"What's wrong with orange and blue?" the Doctor scoffed. "Orange and blue is more exciting than boring old black anyways."

"Doctor…" Amy started, frowning at the console.

"Hmm?"

"Is that thing… the creature from Midnight… Is it dead?"

He stared at her for a moment, his expression unreadable. It was moments like these that his eyes shone with the mysteries of all of time and space, glittering darkly, seeming to be trying to convey meaning to her but in a language she had yet to learn, and probably would never live long enough or see enough to learn.

It was suddenly easy to see that this man, this… _Time Lord_, had seen the birth and death of the universe, had seen wars to end all wars, had destroyed his people, everyone he knew and loved and cared about, the only people in the universe who truly understood what it was like to look across time and space.

Those eyes, that face, so young, but so old. It seemed as though he would implode from the pressure the universe put on him, but at the same time, as though he would explode from the knowledge and experience and power he contained.

His expression was empty- it said that he would never tell her, and that terrified her, that he wouldn't tell, but soothed her that she wouldn't be burdened by the weight of what he left unrevealed.

He turned away.

Quick, clever hands snapped a row of switches, then rang a bell. "Where are we going next?" he asked, keeping a pretense of happiness and energy that nobody believed, but made them comfortable anyways. And in one corner of his mind... He could hear it.

_I'm still alive. Keep killing yourselves- I'll get what I want eventually. _He shivered violently, and flipped a few more switches, taking them far away.

**Done! Special thanks to Shiny Ivyleaves, who remained a consistent reviewer and critiquer through the entire story! And for those who are interested...**

**NEXT STORY: The Doctor didn't abandon Amy and Rory just because he wanted to preserve their lives. He was preserving their fond memories of him, because he knows he isn't going to be that way much longer. As the Doctor is saying good-bye for what looks like the last time, he knows that, in his blood, an ancient virus is destroying him, cell by cell, death pumped through his veins by the same two hearts that once pumped life through him. There is no stopping it.**

**It's slightly graphic... lots of blood refrences, and medical jargon, and some things that most would deem "OHMYGROSS"ness. Unsure of the publish date- I'm only about halfway through right now, and as much as I want to start posting already, I don't dare, because I have a tendacy of getting halfway through, then going back and rewiriting minor details so they'll be major but subtle contributions to the plot. But it will be up eventually. Keep an eye out!**

**Kudos! **

**-Redfeatherz**


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